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So next time you go to the farmer’s market or to your garden, if you are so lucky, grab some extra basil. Taking a page from the whiskey sours I posted last time, we are going to do something similar but with gin and with the addition of fresh basil leaves. This is a great indian summer drink and a wonderful way to use up some of that fresh basil you have hanging around.

If you have a favorite gin, then, by all means use it. I have happened upon Boodles, which is relatively cheap and works for me. I occasionally buy more expensive gins when I want to experiment and feel a little flush.

As this drink, like the whiskey sour uses simple syrup, I’m going to use this blog as an excuse to talk a little more about simple syrup. So simple syrups are 1 part white sugar to 1 part water. You throw them both in a sauce pan and heat to a boil, stirring occasionally. And then remove from the heat and let cool. You are basically just dissolving the sugar in the water. I keep mine in a sterilized, (read: went through the dishwasher) recycled glass peanut butter jar in the refrigerator. I have found it will last well over a month that way. If it is clear and smells fine, it is fine. There are plenty of variations on simple syrups including “rich” simple syrups and flavored/infused simple syrups which I can’t wait to talk to you about soon.

So along with the gin and simple syrup, the other ingredients for our drink today are fresh lemon juice and 5-6 basil leaves per drink.